Week 8 of the NFL season is right around the corner, and fantasy football owners everywhere are trying to optimize their lineups. Deciding on who to start and sit isn’t easy, especially when an untested player like Ty Johnson suddenly gets a massive opportunity. Let’s take a dive into all of the best start em’, sit em’ matchups of the week to put together the best possible lineup.
Wide Receiver Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em
Ty Johnson, Joe Mixon Highlight Fantasy Football Running Back Week 8 Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em
Start: Ty Johnson
Ty Johnson isn’t going to completely replicate Kerryon Johnson’s production, but he’s going to be a solid play in fantasy football. As previously discussed, Johnson made a name for himself in the preseason and was clearly the head of the backfield after Kerryon went down in Week 7. He’s a home-run hitter with the speed and acceleration to rack up big runs in the open field. The biggest problem is getting him into the open field, as he still needs to work on reading his blocks and taking what the defense gives him.
Johnson is a raw player, but rushing success has more to do with blocking and play-calling than it does the actual runner. Johnson should be a safe volume-based play, although J.D. McKissic is going to eat into some of the pass-catching work. Look for Johnson to put up low-end RB2/high-end flex numbers as the head of Detroit’s backfield.
Sit: Joe Mixon
Joe Mixon’s nightmare season isn’t getting better any time soon. Mixon is a talented running back, but he’s not capable of overcoming what could very well be the worst situation in the NFL. The offensive line is a mess, the offense cannot move the ball, and the defense is atrocious, forcing the Bengals to throw the ball in order to keep up. Because of this, Mixon only has 254 yards and no touchdowns on 84 carries.
You can’t blame Mixon alone for his underwhelming numbers, but you also need to accept that he’s just not a reliable fantasy option this year. Mixon is essentially experiencing Todd Gurley’s 2016, where an atrocious situation became too much to overcome. You can try to buy low on Mixon in dynasty leagues, but he doesn’t carry much value in season-long leagues.
Start: Sony Michel Without Rex Burkhead
Sony Michel isn’t that great of a running back, but he plays in a high-powered offense and he sees a high workload whenever Rex Burkhead isn’t on the field. Last week, Michel recorded three touchdowns and was a great start despite averaging just 2.21 yards-per-carry. He also would have had a wide-open receiving touchdown had he not dropped an easy screen pass.
If Burkhead plays, you probably shouldn’t play Michel. However, Burkhead didn’t even travel with the team in Week 7, which suggests he’s a long ways away from being ready for a return. Michel should have one or two more weeks of inefficient fantasy relevance before going back into a timeshare with Burkhead.
Sit: Derrick Henry
Derrick Henry can be a fantastic play in the right matchup, but Week 8’s showdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers doesn’t project well for Henry. Tampa Bay, surprisingly enough, is a force against the run, entering Week 8 as the top rushing defense in Football Outsiders’ DVOA metric. Additionally, they’re also 25th in pass defense. If the Titans are smart, they’re going to attack through the air early and often in this contest.
Derrick Henry brings absolutely nothing to the passing game and only offers upside in games where he can get 20-25 carries. It’s hard to project him seeing that type of workload when Tennessee is probably going to test Tampa Bay’s subpar passing defense. Ryan Tannehill proved he still has something left in his tank, so start Corey Davis and sit Derrick Henry.
